Rural mail box



May 28, 1929.- w. H. BLASER RURAL MAIL BOX Filed Sept. 13, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l fig. l. a: 7 /7 2a 2/ 3: M

/Z 37 f lf 27 'gwuentot Ell-laser W. H. BLASER RURAL MAIL BOX May 28, 1929.

2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 15, 1926 A la 3 MIW HTIU William H. B155 Patented May 28, 192%.

RURAL MAIL Box.

Application filed September 13, 192 6. semino. 135,245.

The present invention relates to mail boxes, and more particularly to combined collection and delivery mail boxes as employed along rural mail routes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved mail box of this type, embodying entrance and exit openings arranged at opposite sides of the box, with the exit opening disposed below the entrance opening, thus providing a suitable receptacle for the mail when inserted through the entrance opening. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail box embodying novel features of construction whereby the box is of reinforced construction, with certain of its reinforcing means serving for excluding water from entering the box. 7

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a mail box embodying a pivoted package door, provided with a novel type of lockingmeans whereby the door is normally held against being opened, and whichdoor is provided with a swinging letter chute which may be swung independently of the door for permitting of letters and small packages of mail matter being inserted into the box without the necessity of unlocking and opening of the package door.

A still further object of the invention is to rovide a mail box for rural mail routes, which will be strong and durable, and one wherein the mail matter may be easily deposited and removed from the box either by the carrier, orthe patron authorized to deposit and receive mail from the box.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view' of the front or that side of the mail box readily accessible to by the mail carrier.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the rear the box.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same.

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary perspec tive view showing the manner in which the signal flag is positioned and held in a signalling position.

side of Figure 5 is'a fragmentary sectional View through the pivoted end of the signal'and showing the manner in which'the same, is

mounted upon one end wall of the box.

Figure 6 is a perspective view'of the looking pin for retaining the package door in a closed position. Y t

Figure 7 Figure 2.

s a vertical section on'line 7 f Figure 8 1s a vertical longitudinal section on line 88 of Figure 7 and looking'in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in Which the exit door is mounted at the rear of the box. I

'Figure 10 is a fragmentary, perspective view of one end of the exit door andshowingthe manner in which the same overlaps the exit opening of the box. i v i Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inner side of the package door and showing the manner in which the letter chute is mounted in the door.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective View of the letter clamp mounted inwardly of the box for holding letters either being mailed ordeposited in the box by the carrier. 7

Figure 13 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the locking arrangement for the package door. 1

Figure 14: is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating certain details of construction. V

In the drawings, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Themail box or receptacle, and'which is preferably formed of sheet metal of a suitable gauge, embodies a pair of end walls 15 and 16, each being provided at its marginaledge with an inturned bead 17. A bottom wall 17 having flanges provided at each end there of for clamping engagement with thebeads 17 formed along the lower edge of the end walls 15 and 16, extends upwardly at the front of the box for a distance substantially as at 19', and which curl aside fromreinforcing the upperedge of the wall section, prevents injury to ones hand when placing mail I matter in the box. The end edges of the wall section 18 are clamped in the beads 17 at the front of the end walls. At the rear of the box,

in the lower portion of the rear wall section 19, with its upper edge disposed above the top edge of the front wall section, andv the metal at the edges of the opening is bent inwardly as at 23 for providing a reinforced marginal portion for the opening. As will be observed in Figures 9 and 10, this opening 22 is spaced slightly above. the bottom wall 17 and has its ends spaced inwardly from the end walls and 16 for providing a suitable mounting for an exit door 25.

This exit door is provided with marginal reinforcin stri 3s 26 and is hinoedl connected at its lower edge as by means of'spring hinges 27, to the lower portion of the rear wall section 19. As will be observed in Figures 2 and 10, this door 25 is of slightly greater dimension than that of the opening 22, and when the door is in its closed position, overlaps the side and top edges of the opening and rests flat upon the outer surface of the wall 19., The hinges 27 are adapted to normally hold the door 25 in its closed position, and a suitable handle 28 is provided at the center. of the door for downward swinging of the door for permitting of access being had to the box by the patron for the placing or removal of mail matter. Hoods 28 are mounted on the door 25 above each of the hinges 27, and serve as shields for protecting the hinges against weather and from being tampered with, and 'hese hoods by engagement with the rear wall section 19, serve to limit outward swinging movement of the exit door. Projecting outwardly from the upper or free edge of the door 25, is anapertured ear 29, the aperture of which is adapted to align with the opening of an outstanding apertured ear 30 carried by the rear wall 19 for receiving a suitable padlock 31. Thus it will be seen that the exit door 25 may be locked against unauthorized opening except by or with permission'of the patron to whom the mail box belongs.

Secured to the outer surface of the rear wall 19 in slightly spaced relation above the upper edge of the opening 22, and extending throughout the length of the wall, is an outwardly projecting water strip 32 and which strip serves for preventing water from entering the box through the opening 22. As will be observed in Figures 2 and 14, this strip 32 extends into abutting engagement with the the bottom wall 17 and readily picked up.

Hingedly mounted as by spring hinges 35, to the inner SlClG' of the front portion of the arched roof portion 20, is an entrance or I oacka e door 36 bein ofa len th slichtl less than the distance between the end walls 15 and 16. This package door 36 is adapted to swing inwardly of the box, and when in its closed position has its upper edge disposed inwardly of the deflecting edge 21 so that water will be prevented from entering the box along the upper edge of the door. Abutment strips 37 connect the lower edge of' the roof 20-with the upper edge of the front wall section 18, at each of the end walls 15 and 16, and serve as stops for limiting outward swinging movement of thepaokage door. The lower free edge of the door 36 bent outwardly and upwardly for providing a deflecting ridge 38 along the lower edge of the door, and which ridge serves to prevent entrance of water into the box at the upper edge of the front wall section 18. Secured inwardly of the lower free edge of the door 86, is a reinforcing tube 39 which extends throughout the length of the door, and which tube serves for holding the lower edge of the door straight and in alignment above the upper edge of the front wall section 18. This tube 39 extends past the con fronting edges of the abutment strips 37 and thus prevents possible distortion of the lower edge of the door when swung to a closed position by means of the spring hinges As will be observed in Figure 7, this tube 39, when the door 36 is in its normal closed position, extends in longitudinal alignment directly above the upper curled edge 19 01 the front wal section 18. I

Provided at the central portion of the paclr age door 36, is a longitudinally extending letter slot-.40 through which letters and relatively small articles of mail matter may be inserted into the box by the carrier. A cover plate 11 is provided for the slot 4O, and this plate is slotted at its side edges as at 42 for hingedly mounting of the plate in closing relation over the letter slot 40. The lower portion of the plate 1 extends at the outer side of the package door,-while the upper portion of the plate is ofiset inwardly and engages the inner face. of the door when the plate is in its normal closing position. By observing the dotted line showing of the cover plate in Figure 7, it will be seen that when the plate no I . serves as a guide for directing the mail matter through the slot 40. A suitable catch 43 may be givotally mounted uponthe'door 36 at one sic e of the plate 41 for swinging movement across the face of the plate for retaining the plate in a closed position so that the plate will not swing of its own accord when the package door is swung inwardly.

Referring now to the locking means for retaining the package door in its closed position against unauthorized opening, the same embodies a locking pin 45 mounted for vertical sliding movement upon the inner face of the front wall section 18, and preferably at the longtudinal center of the wall section. This pin 45 is slidably mounted at its lower end in a suitable guide 46 secured to the inner face of the wall section 18, and has its upper portion tapered and passing upwardly through an opening 47 provided at the central portion of the inwardly curled upper edge 19 of the wall section 18. The upper projecting end of the pin 45 is adapted to fit into a slot 48 provided in the under side of the tube 39, and which as will be observed in Figures 7 and 8, will prevent inward swinging movement of the package door 36. Carried by the intermediate portion of the pin 45,is a retaining ring 49 which is slidably mounted in a vertically extending slot 50 provided in the wall section 18, and which ringprojects forwardly of the outer face of the wall section. This retaining ring 49 also serves as an operating handle for sliding movement of thepin 45. Pivotally mounted upon the outer face of the wall section 18, to one side of the slot 50, is a U-shaped keeper 52 capable of being swung horizontally to a position traversing the vertically extending slot 50. This keeper 52 may have its pivot portions 53 mounted vertically in suitable bearing plates 54 riveted to the front face of the wall 18. When it is desirable to lock the package door 36 against inward swinging, the operator grasps the projecting horizontally disposed ring 49 and moves the same upwardly and which movement causes the upper end of the pin 45 to project into the slot 48 provided in the tube 39, thus preventing inwardmovement of the lower free edge of the door. The U-shaped keeper 52 may then be swung across the ring 49 for retaining the pin in its elevated locked position, and by attaching a suitable pad lock 55 to the ring 49, will prevent swinging movement of the keeper 0d of the ring.

A suitable signal is preferably provided at one end of the box for informing the carrier or the patron that. mail matter has been deposited in the box, and this signal in the example shown embodies a shaft 56 having a flag 57 carried by its upper end and disposed above the roof portion of the box when in its signalling position. The shaft 56 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 58 for receiving a pivot pin59 suitably anchored 60 which is adapted to receive a pin 61 mount ed in the wal1'15 directly below the pivot pin 59 for retaining the shaft in an upright signalling position. By observing Figures 3 and 4, it will readily be apparent the manner in whichthe shaft 56 may be raised a slight distance for freeing the pin 61 and allowing the signal to swing to a nonsignalling position as indicated in dottedlines in Figure 3.

By so mounting the package or entrance door 36 at a point near the roof of the box,

will permit of a relatively large amount of 1 mail matter being deposited in the box, and by so mounting the exit door 25 at a point near the bottom of the box, will permit of the mail being easily removed from'the box upon downward swinging of the door. The package door 36 is normally held in a locked posi-' tion, and when it is desirable to place letters in the box, it is' merely necessary to swing the cover plate 41 to a position for opening the letter slot 40, thus at all times retaining the box in a condition for preventing unauthorized removal of the mail fromthe box.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a novel and efficient type of rural mail box has been provided embodying features of construction whereby the same in the'end wall 15. The lowerend of-the -shaft'56 is provided with a pocket or recess will not readily be distortedduet o continued i use, andembodying an improved type of combined letter and package door provided with a locking arrangement whereby the door may be locked, against swinging movement inwardly of the box, forpreventing unauthorized access being had to the box.

Changes in detail may be made to the specific form of the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims. r

I claim:

1. In a mail box of the class described including a front wall section and a roof portion having its forward edge'terminating in spaced relation above the upper edge of said wall section and providing an entrance opening, of closure means for the opening comprising a package door hingedly connected at its upper edge to the roof portion for close ing the opening, a reinforcing tube carried by the lower free edge of the door and hav--" ing an opening provided in its under side,

' and a freely movable locking pin carried by said'wall section and movable into the open-- ing in the reinforcing tube for preventing swinging movement of the door.

2. In a mail box of the class described includinga front wallsection and a roof portion having its forward edge terminating in spaced relation above the upper edge of said wall section and providing. an entrance opening, of closure means for the opening comprising an inwardly swinging package door hingedly connected at its upper edge to the roof portion for closing the opening, a rein- 5 forcing tube carried by the lower inner side of the door and having an opening provided in its underside, a freely movable looking pin carried by the inner side of said Well section and movablevertically intothe opening for retaining the locking pin in locking engagement with said door.

WILLIAM H. BLASER. 

